Short documentaries reveal drastically different realities

Garbage is life. Art is life. "Recycled Life" and "Rehearsing a Dream," two starkly different documentary short films, were both nominated for Academy Awards in 2006.

In "Recycled Life," one-third of the trash generated in the country of Guatemala finds its way to a garbage dump in Guatemala City. Thousands of people live at this dump. Children are born at this dump to mothers who were born at this dump. The Guajeros, as they are called, have been living in this landfill of opportunity for 60 years.

People provide for themselves and their families by mining the garbage for food and other still-consumable goods. They sell what can be sold, and hundreds of people are in business to buy the trash they forage.

Once you adjust to the fundamental exploitation, "Recycled Life" is somehow an upbeat story.

The young people in "Rehearsing a Dream" could not be further from the people in "Recycled Life." These keenly privileged high-school students can afford a channel for their dreams. In a week of workshops and mingled experience, singers and dancers and actors, classical and jazz musicians, painters and photographers practice making their dreams real with mentoring from celebrated professionals.

We tune into the talent of such special kids, excited to be touched by their passion. We understand, even if only vicariously, the feeling of being a gifted artist among so many gifted artists. We understand that they speak the same language, and it tickles us to listen to its striving, hopeful rhythms.

These two fine films did not win the Oscar for Documentary Short. "The Blood of Yingzhou District" won. It also will be shown at the Nevada Theatre, Sunday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Analogous to the need to keep telling stories about the Holocaust, we need to stay aware of the AIDS pandemic. In a single province in China, this film focuses on a few out of 75,000 children orphaned by AIDS. The parents mostly died because they were contaminated while selling their blood to help support their families.

Garbage is life. Art is life. Death, too, is life.

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Chuck Jaffee lives in Nevada City. He believes there is insufficient opportunity to see short films at the movies. Find his other articles for The Union at www.startlets.com.